Fluance is a speaker manufacturer based in Ontario, Canada. They have been around since 1999, but, I admit, they were a new name to me when I received an email from their very diligent PR person asking if I was interested in reviewing one of their products. One look at the product line, and the amazingly modest pricing, led me to immediately reply in the affirmative. Fluance designs and distributes a full suite of home theater and two channel speakers. They sell complete 5.1 systems, floorstanders, standmounts, surround speakers, and subwoofers. There are several lines to choose from, including the AV, SX, and XL Series, each with specific characteristics and cosmetics. I am reviewing a pair of the XL7F floorstanders, which sell for an amazing $499. Fluance sells direct from their website as well as through select retailers.Before we get ...

U.K. speaker legends KEF have been front and center lately with cutting edge products like the flagship Blade and the 50th anniversary stand-mounted LS50. At $1500, the LS50 is a remarkable bargain for those with limited space. It certainly deserved much of the accolades the audio press bestowed upon it. KEF has an extensive, and impressive, array of product lines. The Uni-Q coaxial driver is at the heart of most of the designs, and rightly so. It is a remarkable driver that can be used in a variety of implementations. The LS50 is unique in that the Uni-Q was the only driver, which may have been the key to its magic. Other speakers in the KEF product take a different path. The KEF R Series of speakers are maybe the sweet spot, flanked by the top of the line Flagship ...

Bogdan Audio Creations was a totally new name to me before Adrian of True Harmonix , distributor and importer for some prestigious brands, asked me if I would like to review one of Bogdan's speakers. Specifically, he wanted me to hear the Art Deco model, newly revised for 2013. I agreed because Adrian has exceptionally good taste, and an ear for good products. He imports the Densen line from Denmark, which is top shelf. Bodgan Petrescu, a gentleman who has been designing speakers for twenty-five years, runs Bogdan. He hand builds his speakers in Findlay, OH. He decided his hobby had advanced enough that his creations, so to speak, competed with the very best commercially available loudspeakers. In 2009, he decided to make a concerted effort to start a speaker company. This was no longer a hobby. He had ...

MartinLogan enjoys a place at the mantle occupied by a relatively small group of state of the art speaker companies enduring the test of time. Nearing its third decade, the Lawrence, Kansas company first impressed critics, audiophiles, and industry professionals at the 1983 Consumer Electronics Show, and now have a devoted following.Gayle Martin Sanders and Ron Logan Sutherland started MartinLogan (the company name a combination of middle names) with a very specific goal in mind: perfect the electrostatic design loudspeaker (ESL). I admit having a particularly soft spot in my heart for electrostatics as I grew up listening to my father’s Quad 57s. The immediacy, and total lack of enclosure colorations have seduced many audiophiles for decades. MartinLogan has released many groundbreaking products since its inception, and has an impressive legacy of previous models. ShoreView Industries, who also owns Paradigm ...

The Thiel CS3.7, when introduced in 2007, was the crowning achievement by the late, great, Jim Thiel. The flagship floor stander was the culmination of many years of research, and a series of upgrades and refinements of previous models. It has been universally praised by those who have heard it a hifi trade shows, and by professional reviewers alike. Some of the best ears in the business have claimed the CS3.7 offered remarkable performance that only fell short when compared to the very, very best, and stratospherically priced loudspeakers. The Thiel CS3.7 is currently priced at just about $13,000, depending on finish. which dear readers, is less than a pair of Nordost, MIT, Synergistic Research, or Transparent flagship interconnects. The CS3.7 were designed and built at their facility in Lexington, KY. As every review of a Thiel speaker is obligated ...